filing your plan of study (ipos)

your plan of study

The Plan of Study (iPOS) functions as a contract between the student, the academic unit, and the Graduate
College. The iPOS contains certain degree requirements such as coursework, a committee and a culminating
experience which must be included before it can be approved. The academic unit’s graduate support staff
should be the primary contact regarding iPOS and degree requirements. The iPOS must be approved by a
student’s committee, the head of the academic unit, and the Graduate College Dean.

To facilitate degree completion and shorten time to degree, graduate students with regular status must submit
their iPOS by the time they have enrolled for 50 percent of the minimum credit hours required for their degree
program.

master’s plan of study

Students must submit an iPOS before completing 50 percent of the credit hours required for their degree
program. A student is not eligible to apply for the comprehensive examination or thesis without an approved
iPOS.

doctoral plan of study

Students must submit an iPOS before completing 50 percent of the credit hours required for their degree
program. A student is not eligible to apply for the Foreign Language Examination (if applicable), comprehensive
examinations, dissertation proposal/prospectus or dissertation defense (if applicable) without an approved
iPOS.

Please contact your department’s graduate support staff for more information on which specific courses to list on your iPOS or which culminating experience option you must select. See How to Submit your Plan of Study (PDF) for complete instructions. For the complete Graduate College iPOS policy information, please see graduate policies.